Toy guns which shoot or launch projectiles have been very popular for many years. These guns have been designed to launch projectiles in a number of ways. A common method of launching has been by the compression of a spring which propels the projectile upon its decompression or release, as, for example, with BB guns and dart guns. These guns however usually do not generate enough force to launch projectiles with great velocity.
Toy guns have also been designed which use compressed air to launch projectiles such as foam darts. These types of guns use a reciprocating air pump to pressurize air within a pressure tank. In use, a single dart is loaded and the pump is typically reciprocated several times with each firing of the gun. Therefore, the gun must be loaded and pumped with each firing as it is not capable of firing several darts in rapid sequence. The rapid firing of a gun may be desired for those playing a mock war or other type of competition.
Toy guns have also been designed which produce a stream of water and hence are commonly referred to as water guns. Most water guns shoot a steady or continuous stream of water. This however does not replicate a realistic look of a machine gun. Some water guns have been designed which produce an interrupted stream of water to simulate the appearance or action of a machine gun. These water guns typically produce the interrupted stream by temporarily blocking a continuous stream of water. This method of breaking a continuous stream however is inefficient and does not truly give the appearance of individual bursts of water.
Accordingly, it is seen that a need remains for a toy air gun which may be rapidly fired in sequence and for a toy water gun which may produce a rapid sequence of water bursts. It is to the provision of such therefore that the present invention is primarily directed.